UKAEA Successfully Demonstrates Industrial-Scale Production of Fusion-Grade Steel
The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) working group has successfully demonstrated the industrial-scale production of fusion-grade steel. This breakthrough has the potential to significantly reduce production costs and improve the efficiency of future fusion powerplants.
In just its first year, the NEURONE (Neutron Irradiation of Advanced Steels) consortium has achieved a UK-first by producing fusion-grade reduced-activation ferritic-martensitic (RAFM) steel on an industrial scale. The milestone was achieved using a seven-tonne Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) at the Materials Processing Institute (MPI) in Middlesbrough.
David Bowden, Group Team Leader for Materials Science and Engineering at UKAEA and NEURONE programme lead, commented:
“One of the major challenges for delivering fusion energy is developing structural materials able to withstand the extreme temperatures (up to 650 degrees Celsius) and high neutron loads required by future fusion powerplants.”
The high temperatures and radiation levels caused by fusion reactions place extraordinary demands on structural materials, which are critical for maintaining the integrity of future fusion powerplants under extreme conditions.
Cost-Effective Production of Fusion Steels Using EAF Technology
By using Electric Arc Furnace technology combined with enhanced purification and thermomechanical processing protocols, the approach pioneered by the NEURONE consortium has the potential to decrease production costs by up to 10 times compared to conventional RAFM steel production. This method utilizes existing, scalable infrastructure within the supply chain.
MPI led the trials, enabling the manufacture, testing, and analysis of specialist high-temperature steels, starting at the laboratory scale and progressing to full industrial-scale production in the EAF.
Richard Birley, NEURONE project lead at MPI, explained:
“As the only sovereign UK steel research facility capable of producing RAFM steel at this scale, this is a groundbreaking moment for nuclear fusion R&D.
The production of 5.5 tonnes of fusion-grade RAFM steel lays the foundation for cost-effective manufacturing of these steels for future commercial fusion programmes.
NEURONE plans to develop advanced RAFM steel variants capable of operating up to 650°C. This stretch target could also benefit adjacent industries such as nuclear fission and petrochemicals, which require high-strength, high-temperature structural steels.
The programme will also work on optimising an advanced RAFM alloy using the EAF at a similar multi-tonne scale to EUROFER 97, the best EU developmental fusion steel,” Dr Bowden concluded.
About the NEURONE Consortium
The NEURONE Consortium is a £12 million collaboration between UKAEA’s Materials Division and academic and industrial partners across the UK and internationally. It provides access to neutron irradiation facilities and focuses on developing steels that operate at higher temperatures, enhancing fusion machine efficiency and electricity generation.
NEURONE Consortium Members
The NEURONE Consortium includes representatives from leading universities such as:
- University of Swansea
- University of Sheffield
- University of Birmingham
- Imperial College London
- University of Manchester
- University of Bristol
- University of Strathclyde Glasgow
- University of Oxford
Industry partners include the Materials Processing Institute and Sheffield Forgemasters. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) also collaborates as an international partner. NEURONE supports a new generation of researchers through PhD and summer placement programs.
Ongoing Research and Future Opportunities
NEURONE has produced over 50 different variants of advanced reduced-activation ferritic-martensitic (ARAFM) steel alloys for testing and analysis. New methodologies have been established for analysing material damage, and initial data has been compiled on lab-scale melts ranging from 100 to 400 grams.
There is significant potential for specialist UK steel manufacturers to engage with NEURONE’s future activities, particularly around forging, rolling, and process optimisation of ARAFM steels.
Find out more about the Materials Research Facility at UKAEA.
